Research, Data, and Data Management

Whether you work in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities, if you do research, you work with data. You may call it by a different name – field observations, satellite maps, lab equipment readouts, archival sources, survey responses – but it is still data. You may package it in different forms – text, images, videos, spreadsheets, audio recordings – but it is still data. Researchers who aim not only to produce excellent work themselves but also to advance knowledge follow best practices for managing their data.

This guide introduces best practices for data management which provide documentation, allow for reproduction of the study, and enable the researcher to share invaluable data with others. Throughout, this guide points to resources available to researchers at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Office of Undergraduate Research

The Office of Undergraduate Research provides students with many opportunities for exciting and meaningful research throughout their career at the University of Arkansas.

Resources for University of Arkansas Researchers

All researchers (faculty, staff, and students) at the University of Arkansas have access to a range of resources offered by the following units:

University Libraries: Your subject librarian, whom you can find in this directory, can point you to the best databases for the literature in your field and provide general guidance on research data management.

Information Technology Services: ITS provides numerous software packages, collaboration tools, and data storage options. It's a good idea to talk with the ITS technicians as you begin planning your research project.

Research Data Services: A division of ITS, Research Data Services offers software for conducting surveys and running statistical analysis. You can also consult the experts at RDS about research design.

Tessaract Center: Tessaract specializes in visualization and particularly in the creation of immersive environments.